Why choose Elite?
There are many possibilities when it comes to choosing a dance school.
To ensure you’re getting the best possible training, consider the following aspects:
Professional Faculty
There are no requirements or licenses required in opening or teaching at a dance studio. Elite recognizes this and has developed their own criteria in the selection process of hiring new instructors. Our instructors are professional or former professional dancers. They have received dance degrees from universities and continue to train in the dance field. Several of our instructors are current performers with Chicago-based companies offering a vast knowledge of the present dance world and network.
Dancer-Safe Studio
The health and safety of our students is of utmost importance.
Team
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CPR/First Aid/AED certified
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Trained in emergency preparedness and adheres to a code of conduct/safety handbook
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Held to ongoing training and discussions regarding dancers' safety, injury prevention, and mental health
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Building
- Sprung dance floors
- Quality acrobatic mats
- Paddle lock doors
- Video security surveillance
Fun For ALL
We are dedicated to the art of dance and all the dance world has to offer. For the more serious dancer, we have a professional training program that will prepare students for a career in dance. We also love to share our talent with those who just want to dance for fun!
Meet Our Team
Ashley Deets
Artistic Director
Instructor & Choreographer
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Elite alumna Ashley Deets is an award-winning dancer, teacher, and choreographer in Chicagoland. She is a certified Acrobatic Arts, Rhythm Works Integrative Dance, and Wingman for Dance educator. Deets graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Business Administration. While there, she was a member of the nationally competitive Illini Dance Team, and she loves merging her experience in both studio and team dance. When not at Elite, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids, Hank, Levi, and Margaret. With over two decades of dance and performance experience, Ashley is thrilled to do what she loves each day!
Paige Deets
Business Manager
EDC Team Leader
Instructor & Choreographer
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Paige Deets is a professional dancer, certified teacher, and award-winning choreographer. She attended Western Michigan University and graduated in the spring of 2015 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. Paige has since trained on scholarship at Visceral Dance Center and in Kibbutz Ga’aton Israel under the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. Deets has danced with numerous companies including Project Bound, Trifecta Dance Collective, Geometry Dance Company, and Canv(us) Movement Collective under the direction of Gerran Reese. She has appeared as a dancer and model in many music videos and live performances for artists including Half the Animal, Niki Black, Mickey Singh, ICON BLU, and Josi Maran. Her choreography has won numerous awards in showcase, competition, and festival settings and she was represented by Go-2 Talent Agency while in Los Angeles. She has taught in many dance studios as well as private, charter, public, and inner-city schools across the country inspiring her to get her teaching certification in physical education and dance which she received in 2021. Paige now resides in the Chicagoland area with her husband and son, Collin.
Renée Deets
Owner
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Renee studied Social Work and Child Psychology at Carthage College. Elite Dance Academy was born from her passion for the hearts of children and the desire to not only provide the highest level of dance discipline in the community, but more importantly create a safe place for children to gain not only the obvious physical benefits but the confidence, self-esteem, kindness, and
compassion that are critical in developmental years.
Renee and her husband have lived in Homer Glen for 32 years where they raised
three children and now enjoy four grandchildren.
Gina cozzi
EDC Director
Instructor & Choreographer
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Gina Cozzi graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology. During her time there, she had the privilege of performing in works by renowned choreographers including Tere O’Connor, Earl Mosley, Abby Zbikowski, and Kemal Nance. From 2014–2016, Gina trained with Kate Kuper in her Creative Dance for Children program, which further inspired her passion for working with young dancers.
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In addition to her extensive teaching experience, Gina is a certified M1 Acrobatic Arts Instructor and contributed as a program developer for DiscoverDance Early Childhood Education. She joined the Elite family in 2016 and has been proud to serve as Company Director since 2020. As an educator, Gina is passionate about fostering a positive and challenging environment where dancers can grow in both skill and confidence. She is committed to nurturing creativity, discipline, and artistry in every student, and finds great joy in guiding dancers toward discovering their full potential.
Laura Witter
EDC Team Leader
Instructor & Choreographer
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Laura Witter grew up dancing in the Boston area and attended Point Park University as a dance major with a concentration in jazz. In 2000, she relocated to Chicago after receiving a Merit Scholarship to continue her training at the Giordano Dance Center in Evanston. Laura was a founding member of Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT), under the direction of Mark Yonally, performing locally, nationally, and internationally with the company from 2002 to 2011. Notable performances included the Jazz Dance World Congress, Lollapalooza, the New York City Musical Theater Festival, and multiple tours to the South of France. She has appeared as a guest artist with Audible Odyssey, jorsTAP Chicago, Chicago Dance Crash, the MASSIVE, Thodos Dance Chicago’s New Dances, and with independent choreographers Paul Christiano, Jon Lehrer, and Jay Franke. From 2010 to 2016, Laura danced as a company member with Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT), under the direction of Wilfredo Rivera. With CRDT, she performed throughout Chicago—including at the Auditorium and Harris Theaters—and internationally in Barcelona, Spain.
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As a dance educator, Laura founded and directed the Artistry in Motion Dance Company, housed within the Des Plaines Park District, from 2004 to 2020. In the summer of 2024, she completed the iTap Teacher Training Program under the direction of Hillary-Marie. Laura is excited to begin her 7th season at Elite Dance Academy, marking her 26th year of teaching dance. She looks forward to continuing her work alongside the EDC Directors and Team Leaders.
She is also a proud dance mom to Logan and Beckett, both members of EDC this season.
Rebecca Mcdevitt
EDC Team Leader
Instructor & Choreographer
Rebecca McDevitt is a passionate dance educator and choreographer based in Logan Square, Chicago. A 2015 graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a BFA in Dance, Rebecca trained in modern, ballet, improvisation, West African, and hip hop techniques, and developed a strong interest in choreography. While at Illinois, she performed in works by Jennifer Monson, Rebecca Nettl-Fiol, Sheldon Smith, Jessie Young, and Abby Zbikowski at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Rebecca was also a teaching assistant for hip hop and jazz dance elective courses at the university and assisted in the Creative Dance for Children program in the Department of Dance, under the direction of Kate Kuper.
After graduating, Rebecca quickly fell in love with teaching and choreography, working with dancers of all ages and across all styles, eventually becoming a competitive choreographer. She also spent six years choreographing Nazareth Academy’s spring musical, where she developed a love for theater alongside dance.
In 2021, Rebecca expanded her horizons by becoming a Pure Barre instructor, teaching all formats at Pure Barre Logan Square. She quickly embraced the group fitness world, bringing that energy and knowledge into her dance classes as well.
Rebecca is beyond grateful to teach at Elite Dance Academy, the place where she first realized dance was more than just a hobby—it was her passion. She loves sharing that passion with her students every day.
Lezlie Gray
Instructor & Choreographer
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Lezlie Gray was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, where she began her formal training in Ballet, Pointe, Modern, and Jazz at Delaware Dance Company (DDC) under Sunshine Webster-Latshaw and Sherry Hiott. During her years with DDC, she performed in numerous productions, dancing both soloist and principal roles.
As a high school student, Lezlie expanded her training through Ballet Magnificat’s Summer Intensive, regional dance festivals, Regional Dance America, and the Youth America Grand Prix semi-finals in Philadelphia and Boston. Upon graduating in 2018, she moved to Jackson, Mississippi to continue her dance education as a Trainee with Ballet Magnificat.
In 2019, Lezlie joined Ballet 5:8’s Professional Company, where she danced for six seasons, performing across Chicago, the Midwest, and nationwide. Rising through the ranks, she performed soloist and principal roles and danced in pieces choreographed by Julianna Rubio Slager, Kevin Jenkins, Tobin James, and Seyong Kim. She gave her final bow as a Solo Artist with Ballet 5:8 in Spring 2025.
Lezlie has also appeared as a Guest Artist with Fox Valley Ballet’s Nutcracker and has shared her expertise as both teacher and choreographer with Delaware Dance Company, The School of Ballet 5:8, and Elite Dance Academy. Now entering her sixth year at Elite, she is excited to continue inspiring the next generation of dancers as a Ballet and Pointe Instructor.
Julia Zic
Assistant Artistic Director
Instructor & Choreographer
Julia Zic is a passionate dance educator and choreographer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. Her journey through modern, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, West African, improvisation, and dance composition has shaped her into a versatile and dynamic artist with a love for storytelling through movement.
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Over the years, Julia has trained and performed with acclaimed artists including Keesha Beckford, Margi Cole, Zineb Chraribi, Paige Cunningham Caldarella, Darrell Jones, Carrie Hanson, and Dardi McGinley-Gallivan. She has also expanded her artistic perspective through master classes with members of Merce Cunningham Company, Natya Dance Theater, and Urban Bush Women, bringing a rich and diverse approach to her craft.
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Originally from Frankfort, IL, Julia grew up immersed in intensive training, competition, and teaching, cultivating a passion for both technical precision and creative expression. Now, entering her sixth year at Elite Dance Academy, she recently earned the title of Assistant Artistic Director, where she inspires dancers as an instructor, choreographer, and social media coordinator.
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Whether she’s in the studio or curating engaging content online, Julia is dedicated to fostering joy, growth, and self-expression in every dancer she works with. With an ever-evolving passion for dance education, she strives to empower young artists and leave a lasting impact!
Anna Volkman
Instructor & Choreographer
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Elite alumna Anna Volkman began her lifelong journey with dance at the age of 2. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Marketing from Western Michigan University before moving to Los Angeles, where she trained in the commercial dance industry while also cultivating her love for teaching young dancers. After five years pursuing a professional dance career in LA, Anna returned to her hometown of Homer Glen—and back to the foundation of her passion, Elite Dance Academy. Now, she is thrilled to pass along her knowledge and experiences to the next generation of dancers, with the hope of inspiring them just as Elite once inspired her. Anna currently lives in the city with her fiancé and their 2 furry kids.
rachel
newton
Instructor & Choreographer
Rachel Newton grew up in Frankfort, IL, where she began her dance training at the American Dance Center under Kathleen Villari of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She later continued her studies at Salt Creek Ballet with instructors Sergey Kozadayev and Zhanna Dubrovskya—graduates of the Vaganova Ballet Academy. During this time, Rachel performed in numerous classical ballets, dancing principal roles in The Nutcracker, Flower Festival in Genzano, and Alice in Wonderland. Rachel earned her BFA in Dance from the Alvin Ailey/Fordham University program, where she was awarded an Ailey Artistic Scholarship. She had the opportunity to perform in works by renowned choreographers including Alexander Anderson, Helen Simoneau, Ethan Colangelo, Mark Caserta, Earl Mosley, Levi Marsman, Brice Mousset, and Winston Dynamite Brown. She has trained in ballet, pointe, Horton, Graham, contemporary, jazz, improvisation, composition, repertory, and partnering. She also participated in summer intensives at Visceral Dance Chicago, Common Conservatory, and Joffrey Ballet Chicago. In 2024, she graduated summa cum laude with a double major in Dance and Digital Technology/Emerging Media. Professionally, Rachel has performed as a guest artist in Ballethnic Dance Company's Urban Nutcracker in Atlanta. She is currently a contemporary company artist in Chicago with The Seldoms (Carrie Hanson) and LEVEL Dance (Eddy Ocampo and Brandon DiCrisico). Also, Rachel loves teaching and sharing her knowledge with the next generation of dancers, helping them grow both technically and artistically!​​
Jodi Tanrikulu
Support Staff
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Jodi is “semi-retired.“ She is married to Dennis and lives in Homer Glen. She has 2 awesome
sons. Her son, Josh, daughter-in-law, Isi, and two beautiful grandsons, Jack and Noah live in
South Carolina where she spends a lot of her time traveling back and forth to visit. Her youngest son Andy and his wife, Kaylin live in Homer Glen with their puppy Kylo. She loves spending time with her kids and her family and friends and loves any time spent on a
beach reading a good book.
She has been with Elite for 10 years and loves being around the loving and welcoming family
atmosphere. (It keeps her young!) She loves welcoming new and returning families to our amazing studios here at Elite and loves working with children and nurturing their growing little minds.
As our Academy grows, so does our need for professional instructors. If you teach any of the forms we offer or something new (yoga, pilates, ballroom, etc.), please send your resume to info@EliteDanceIL.com.